GOSSETT  Gallery

Mary Alice Herring was brought into this world on May 14, 1921 right here in Lawton, Oklahoma. Mary was the third child of Edna Ruby and Thomas Herring‘s family of six children consisting of 4 girls and 2 boys. Born and raised here in Lawton, she graduated from Cache High School and attended one year at Cameron college. At age 20, Mary met a handsome young cadet named Elwin Gossett, also know as Chuck. He was part of the United States Army Air Corps. During their times together, Mary, Chuck, and a group of their friends enjoyed a swim on beautiful days at Medicine Park. They dated for 5 years before they were joined in wedlock on November 11, 1945. At the Old Post Chapel in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Mary and Chuck officially became Mr. and Mrs. Gossett. Shortly after being married, Chuck went to serve his country during the War. 

Upon his return from the European campaign, the newlyweds were stationed in Ogden Utah, but then to be sent to San Antonio, Texas, where their first born son, Jeffrey Thomas Gossett, was born on May 6, 1949. About a year after Jeff was born, Chuck was sent to Japan to fulfill the duties of his job. Pregnant at the time, Mary decided to temporarily live with her parents and her Sister Marilyn while Chuck was away. On December 26, 1950, with her husband still away in Japan, Mary gave birth to their second son Gary Charles Gossett. Wanting to be with her husband, Mary decided to travel to Japan to be with him. Her brother Clinton, drove Mary and the boys, Jeff, then 2 years and 6 month old Gary to Oakland, California, then Mary and the boys rode the train to Seattle. Once in Seattle, she courageously boarded a ship for a two week voyage across the ocean to Japan. After living 1 ½ years in Japan, his tour of duty ended and they were stationed at Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, SC.

 

Their third and final son, John Randall Gossett was born August 21, 1954 at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina. Mary lived with Chuck and her children in Sumter , before eventually moving off Shaw Air Force Base. From there they purchased a lot and Chuck built the family a house, which I am told he never could quite finish. Chuck was sent off to numerous places while with the Air Force including Greenland and Viet Nam. Mary brought up the boys at home in South Carolina while also working for an insurance office in Sumter. They spent 18 years there. During his tour in Viet Nam, Chuck became ill, and was honorably discharged from the service. Mary’s husband developed pancreatic cancer and died of a massive heart attack October 17, 1970. Mary and chuck were married for 21 years. Her and the boys remained in South Carolina together for one more year. After the death of their father, Jeff who was 24, and Gary, at 20, moved to California. Mary and her youngest son Randy, then returned to Lawton. To be closer to Mary’s family, she purchased a house on NW 40^th, street. 

After an attempt at the restaurant business with Polly, Mary worked for 22 years doing errands, banking and misc. jobs at her brother Clinton’s Lincoln Mercury dealership. During this time Mary would travel to California whenever able to visit her boys, often making the drive together with Polly.

 

In 1985, Mary began what was to be a 16 year relationship with Carl Lee Burk. Mary and Carl loved to dance at the VFW, play bingo, travel to Las Vegas, Hawaii, Texarkana to visit her sister Marilyn, go to California to visit her boys and her Grandkids. The two of them did everything together, errands, banking, eating. Mary loved the companionship that she shared with Carl. Mary endured much sadness when her oldest son, Jeff died from complications from a long illness, on April 17, 1992. Nothing quite prepares a mother to lose and child, and fortunately Mary was able to be out in California when Jeff passed.

 About five years ago, Mary was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and Kidney Cancer. Mary courageously lived with the Parkinson’s Disease and the side effects of the medications. As Mary’s health deteriorated, and they were no longer able to live at the house on N W 40^th street, the two of them decided to move into an assisted living facility. They moved into rooms right next door to each other at Ten Oaks. Carl spent much of his time in Mary’s room, being with her and holding her hand, sitting in his big blue chair. Over the next 10 months As Mary’s health continued to deteriorate, Ten Oaks was unable to continue to care for her, and Mary had to be admitted to a Nursing Home. There was much sadness for Mary, as this was the first time that she was separated from Carl, as his health was also deteriorating from Cancer and he was unable to visit only a few times. Carl passed away in 2002. Mary would often say that she would see Carl and Jeff in the long days that she spent at Willow Park. It was at Willow Park that Mary lived her last years of her life. 

Mary died peacefully in her sleep the morning of July 25^th. Many of you visited Mary over the past few years. She had her good days as well as bad, but seldom complained about her aches and pains. Mary had such a great sense of humor, and she would often make silly little comments out of the blue that would make people laugh and realize that she was much more coherent than many of us thought. Nona Millspaugh who went to Willow Park daily to feed Mary, shared a funny story with Gary. After Mary’s dinner, Nona was reaching over to adjust something to make Mary more comfortable, and her arm accidentally brushed over Mary’s breast. Mary, who had not said much that day, barely opened her eyes and said “Well, just help yourself”. Each of you has a funny story or memory of your own, that you can tuck away in a special place in your heart reserved just for Mary. Keep a happy one, not sad, as Mary would want to be remembered with pure happiness.

 

I have had the pleasure of being Mary’s daughter in law for 21 years. Not once did she ever criticize the kind of wife I was, or the kind of mother I became. She would come and visit and just accept me for what I was, faults and all. She would go with the flow with whatever came her way, smile sweetly and tell me that she loved me. She raised my husband, a wonderful, caring, loving, compassionate, funny man, who I love and adore. He had a good role model, as many of his qualities are the qualities of his mother Mary. I am honored to have known and been loved by such a wonderful woman.

 

I would like to share something with you that Gary wrote the night his Mommie passed away.

 

She loved, worried and cared for others. She was caring. She was giving. She was loving. She was sharing. She led by example yet was not pretentious. She was whole, yet she gave a little piece of herself to everyone she met. She was blessed yet she was the salt of the earth She suffered but never complained. She was more worried about the caregivers that she was of herself. She believed deep in hour soul that love was the answer. She never believed otherwise. She was a daughter, a sister, a mother, a grams, a blessing and a friend to all. She truly loved each and everyone of us. No questions asked. She was an angel, she really was an angel.